OVERTURE

Chef and owner Bertus Basson’s undeniable passion for South Africa is showcased perfectly on the Hidden Valley Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. For more than a decade he has been heralded for his nod to heritage with a modern, fresh take on seasonal foods.

“Here we have the space for creativity,” he modestly claims. “We forget as South Africans how much we have at the southern tip of Africa – forgotten foods like the guava. We love this interesting life at the bottom of this continent. I have South African sun running through my veins, yet we don’t celebrate it enough.” He is clearly inspired by the influence of local, seasonal ingredients and the varying SA cultures. Look out for a beautiful rendition of guava in one of his desserts.

Bertus loves restaurants and the source of energy that they provide. “I am grateful to have more than one and that they can feed off one another; we are able to move our resources around, and staff can experience each.” Overture, recently renovated and rejuvenated, is the crown jewel, Spek & Bone his “love child”, and Bertus Basson at Spice Route and De Vrije Burger have recently been joined by Eike in Stellenbosch, where everything, including the music, is proudly South African. “All fragments of my personality are reflected in my restaurants,” says Bertus.

Every day the chefs go to Bertus’s garden at his home in Jamestown and harvest what is ready to be picked. They believe in evolution rather than revolution, and allow the restaurant and its menu to constantly evolve. At Overture nothing is overdone, it is real food, perfectly executed and plated, a superb canvas for what Bertus and his team do.